Unics Kazan slides into first as Langford torches Maccabi

Keith Langford returned to his former home and torched his former club for 30 points as Unics Kazan dumped Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv 82-92 at Menora Mivtachim Arena to take sole possession of first place in Group M with a 3-0 record. Langford provided a spark with 10 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter as the visitors took the lead for good. It was still a 3-point game entering the fourth, but the Unics defense held Maccabi without a basket for four minutes and Latavious Williams scored twice on the offensive glass to build a double-digit advantage and Maccabi never recovered. Unics outrebounded Maccabi 27-45, including 18 offensive rebounds. Williams finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds, Arturas Milaknis also scored 12 and Art Parakhouski and Quino Colom netted 10 points each for the winners. Devin Smith scored 20 for Maccabi, which fell to 2-1 with its first ever Eurocup loss. Guy Pnini added 15 points, Sylven Landesberg 12 and Taylor Rochestie 11.

Unics started strong with threes from Kostas Kaimakoglou and Valeriy Likhodey giving the visitors a 2-6 lead. Rochestie tied that game at 6-6 and then gave Maccabi its first lead, 10-8. The teams continued to trade points throughout the opening quarter with neither team leading by more than 3. Colom free throws gave Unics a 23-24 lead after 10 minutes. Yogev Ohayon connected from downtown to make it 32-28 early in the second quarter, but Milaknis’s second triple pushed Unics in front again. Maccabi took charge as smith drained back-to-back threes in a 10-0 run that got the arena rocking at 42-33. An unsportsmanlike foul by Itay Segev opened the door for a 4-point Unics possession. Langford heated up and his last-second three brought the visitors back to 49-48 at the break.

Langford scored the first 7 points of the second half before Rochestie sank free throws. Then the red-hot Langford scored again. His three-pointer made it 54-62 four minutes into the third quarter. Landesberg responded with the next 5 points for Maccabi and Smith brought the hosts within 1. A triple by Pnini evened the score at 64-64, but Colom fed Williams to put Unics back in front. Colom added 5 free throws, but Smith’s put-back kept the teams close, 68-71, through three quarters. However Unics held the hosts without a basket for the first four minutes of the fourth quarter. In that time, Williams scored twice on the offensive glass and Milaknis drained a three-pointer before Langford established a 70-80 advantage. Segev tried to spark Maccabi, but Milaknis connected again from downtown. Langford made it 72-85 as the Maccabi faithful sat silent. A pair of Pnini threes brought the hosts within 9, but another Lanford triple all but iced the game.